Blank-folding machine for the manufacture of collars, cuffs, and the like.



H. M. OLEARWATER, J. TEMPLE & J. H. RAMSEY.

BLANK FOLDING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS, CUPFS, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED 111N314, 1012.

1,088,323, 'Patentd Feb.24,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

H. M. CLEARWATER, J. TEMPLE & J. H. RAMSEY. BLANK FOLDING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS, CUFFS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14,1012.

1,088,323, Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' J.H.Ramsey, 29mm 11. M. azearwazer 3 WWW WWW Temple 1n 0 WASHINGTON. n. x v

H. M. GLBARWATBR, J. TEMPLE 6; J. H. RAMSEY.

BLANK FOLDING MAGHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS, currs, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1912.

Patent ed Feb. .24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5 Woe/W0 collapsible templet,

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

HARLEY M. CLEARWATER, OF TROY, JOI-IN TEMPLE, OF IVATEBVLIET, AND JOSEPH I-I.

RAMSEY, OF ROCHESTER,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

REEGE FOLDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA:

TION OF MAINE.

BLANK-FOLDING MACHINE FOR- THE MANUFACTURE OF COLLARS, CUFFS, AND THE LIKE.

1,088,323. Original application filed February 11,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

1911, Serial No. 608,244. Divided and. this application filed June 14, 1912. Serial No. 703,769.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARLEY M. CLEAR- WATER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, JOHN Tnrrrnn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at lVatervliet, 1n the county 0 Albany and State of New York, and JOSEPH H. Ramsey, a citizen of the Unlted States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blank-Folding Machines for the Manufacture of Collars, Cuffs, and the like, of wh1ch the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

The invention which forms the subject of the present application (a division of our prior application Ser. No. 608,244, filed February 11, 1911, now Patent No. 1,043,722, dated November 5, 1912,) relates to machines for turning or folding collar, cuff, shirtbosom, neckband, wristband, and like blanks from which such articles are made, and pertains more particularly to the folding mechanism by which the blank-edge or edges are folded over a fold-definmg die or templet.

In machines of the kind indicated the blank to be folded is placed on a suitable bed, and, in the machine specifically illustrated and described in our prior application above mentioned, and expansible and conforming in size and contour to the finished collar or other art-icle, is seated on the blank. The folding blades then move inwardly, turning or folding the blank-edges over the edges of the templet. The templet now collapses or contracts and the folders are retracted. As these devices clear the folded blank-edges a presser is seated on the latter and pressure more or less heavy is exerted on the blankcdges to give the fold a sharp and perma nent crease. This crease having been produced the presser and templet are carried away from the table, exposing the folded blank so that the same can be removed and an unfolded blank substituted.

As before stated, the present invention relates more especially to the folding mechan sm; and its chief object is to provide reliable and effective devices for the purpose. To this and other ends the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of elements hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the claims.

Upon reading the subjoined description of the preferred embodiment, in connection wlth the claims and the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be embodied in a considerable variety of forms without departure from its proper spirit and scope. We have therefore not deemed it necessary to refer specifically to any of the numerous modifications and arrangement-s of which the invention is capable, but have confined our description to the devices which at the present time are believed to exhibit the various features of the invention in their most convenient and effective form.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the machine showing chiefly the mechanism for actuating the folders. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing one of the cams and its adjusting means. Fig. 8 is a cross section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view showing the folders and mechanism for actuating the same, the presser being shown in horizontal section. The expansible and collapsible templet is here shown in plan, the members which carry the templet being in horizontal section.

The above figures correspond respectively to Figs. 1, 42 4, and 11 of the drawings in our aforesaid copending application Ser. No. 608,244, and the same reference numerals are used herein.

The frame work in or upon which the movable parts of the machine are mounted comprises a bed or bed-plate 20, supported by suitable side frames each composed of legs 21 connected by cross members 23. The operative parts which are more directly'involved in the present invention are actuated by cams on a transverse cam shaft 37 journaled below the bed in the side frames.

.55 f they may also be also the presser,

The head which carries the templet (and shown herein only in Fig. 4) is designated generally by 40, and comprises a plate 41 capable of being raised and lowered by convenient and suitable mechanism not shown. The collapsible and eX- pansible die or templet'53 is carried on the underside of this plate, so that as the head is brought to its lowermost position the templet will'be seated on a blank which has been placed on the bed.

The bed on which the blank to be folded is laid is shown at 135, and is movable vertically in an opening in the bedplate or table 20. For the purpose of actuating the bedit is connected on its underside to the upper links of a pair of toggles or toggle levers 150, 151, by means of a pair of lugs 152, 153 depending from the bed, while the lower links of the toggles are pinned to a shaft 150 parallel to the cam shaft 37. Pinned'to the toggle shaft 150 is a depending arm 154, having at its lower end a roller stud 155 projecting laterally into a suitable cam groove in the face of a cam 156 on the main cam shaft 37, so that as the cam is revolved by the shaft the oscillation of the arm 154 thus caused will straighten and buckle the toggles and thus raise and lower the presser bed.

The folders or folder-blades are four in number, two front blades 83 and two rear 90 journaled in the 91 and 89, the slides blades, 84, 84 The front blades are adjustably mounted on a forwardly and rearwardly movable plate 85 mounted on the bed plate 20, which plate 85 is connected to two rearwardly extending slides 86, 87, movable in suitable slots in the bed-plate 20. These slides are connected at their front ends by a rod 88, which is in turn engaged by the forked ends of two actuating arms 89 extending upwardly from a rock shaft side frames. Extending downwardly and rea-rwardly from this shaft is an arm 91, having on its end a stud 92 extending laterally into a cam groove in the side of a face cam '93 on the cam shaft 37. This groove is so shaped that as the cam revolves the arms 86, 87, the plate 85 and the folders 83 will be operated in proper timerelation to the other operations of the machine. In the present embodiment of our invention the front folders, 83, have onlya forward and back movement, but given a lateral movement if desired,by means like that for actuating i the machine,

the rear folders, now to be described.

The rear folders, 84,842 are adjustably mounted on members 94,95, slidable in plates 96, 97, in a direction transverse to which plates are in turn capable of forward. and rearward movement in 'recesses'in the top of the bed plate 20.

The last named plates are connected to I the disks forward legs 21 of the slides 98, 99, in the bed plate, and the slides are connected in pairs by rods 100, 101, which are engaged by the forked upper ends of rocker arms 102, 103, on the counter-shaft 81, operable independently of each other by cams 104, 105 on the main cam shaft 37, which cams have in their outer faces grooves engaging studs 106, 107, on the lower ends of the arms 102, 103. The capability of independent operation is an important feature for the reason that blanks to be folded may be so shaped as to require these folders to move differently.

The movement of the rear folders effected directly by the cams 104, 105, is backward and forward only, To give the folders a lateral movement, concurrently with or before or after the said backward or forward movement the following devices are provided: Overhanging the members 94, 95 are two horizontal arms 108, 109, carrying at their forward ends slotted cam disks 110, 111, which may be secured in any position of rotary or angular adjustment by means of the clamping rings 112, 113. On the members 94, 95, are roller studs 114, 115, extending up into the slots in said cam disks. Assuming that the arms 108, 109 are stationary, it will be seen that if the slots in are alined with the direction of movement of the slides 98, 99 (as is the slot in the disk 111 in Fig. 4) the members 94, 95 will have no lateral motion as the plates 98, 99 move forward and back. On the other hand, if the disks are turned so as to incline the slots, as is the disk 110 in Fig. 4, it will be seen that the members 94, 95 will also be moved laterally in the plates 98, 99 as the latter move backwardly and forwardly, the resultant movements of the folders 84, 84 being along lines parallel to the slots in the cam disks. This resultant motion is employed when the blank has a rounded or an obtuse-angled corner which must be plaited in to make a smooth or sightly scam in the finished article. Thus in Fig. 4 the contour of the collar, indicated by the shape of the presser 116, requires that the folder 84 move on a line approximately bisecting the angle of the rounded corner. The cam disk 110 is therefore turned to bring its slot parallel to such line of biseetions. It may, however, be necessary not to combine the motions of the parts 94 96, and 9597 into resultant motions of the folders, but instead to keep the lateral movements distinct. This is accomplished as follows: The oscillatory disk-supporting members or arms 108, 109, are mounted on the upper ends of vertical shafts 118, 119, journaled in the brackets 45 (on the rear of the bed plate 20) and at their lower ends mounted in supports loosely embracing the countershaft 81. These supports, one of which is shown at 121, are in the form of split collars, provided with clamping screws, by which the vertical shafts may be clamped with the arms 108, 109 in any position. i. That is, the arms may be pivotally adjusted about the axis of their shafts. Pinned to the lower ends of these vertical shafts are forwardly extending arms, 122, 123, provided at their forward ends with roller studs 124, 125, bearing against cam rings 126, 127 circumferentially adjustable on the cams 104, 105, which, it will be remembered, also serve to actuate the arms 1.02, 103. It will now be seen that as the arms revolve, the shafts 118, 119 will be rocked, thereby swinging the arms 108, 109 and reciprocating or oscillating the slotted members 110, 111, and hence shifting the members 94, 95, and the folders 84, 84, laterally. If the cam rings are of such form and so adjusted as to cause the arms 122, 123 to swing while the plates 96, 97 are being actuated the movements of the folders 84, 84 will be the resultant of the movements of the said plates and the members 95, 95. This method of prOduciIlg such resultant or diagonal motion may be employed if desired, but the simpler method is to suitably adjust the slotted disks 110, 111, as previously described; in which case the cam rings 126, 127 are omitted, or are replaced by plane rings and the rock shafts 118, 119 adjusted in the collars 121 to bring the arms 108, 109 to their proper positions.

For the purpose of causing the follower arms 122, 123 to bear at all times firmly against the rings 120, 127 on the cam disks 104, 105, coil springs, one of which is shown at 131, are provided on the shafts 118, 119, the upper ends by the springs being connected to the shafts and the lower ends to the supports 121. Suppose, now, that the blank to be folded has a pointed instead of a rounded corner, like that indicated at the right of Fig. 4. In such case a diagonal movement of a folder folding both the side edge and the end edge simultaneously might produce a pucker at the corner, which would make an unsightly bulge or lump in the finished article. The proper procedure in a case of this kind is to fold one edge and then fold the other edge over the point. These folding movements are conveniently accomplished as follows in the machine illustrated.

The cam disk 111, for example, is adjusted to bring its slot into parallelism with the direction of movement of the plate 97. Now, as previously described, the folder 84 will have only a forward and back motion as the arm 103 rocks, thus folding only the back edge of the blank. To give the folder a leftward movement after the forward movement, to fold the end edge of the collar, a cam ring 127 of suitable shape is provided on the cam disk 105 and so adjusted that at A the proper instant the ring will swing the follower arm 123 toward the left, thereby rocking the vertical rock shaft 119, and through the instrumentality of the arm 109 shifting the member 95 and folder 84 in the same direct-ion. It will of course be understood that if the slot in the disk 111 be inclined, as is the slot in disk 110 in Fig. 4, instead of alined with the direction of movement of the backwardly and forwardly movable plate 97, the movement of the folder caused by the plate 97 will be accompanied by a lateral movement of the folder due to the inclined position of the slot. Thus by suitable design and adjustment of the various parts which cooperate to actu ate the folders it is possible to provide for any movement of the folders that may be required in practice.

The operation of the folding devices may be briefly summarized as follows: The head 40 being raised, the blank is placed on the bed over the space defined by the inner edges of the folding blades 83, 84, 84*, which at this stage are in their outer positions. To enable the blank to be placed in position accurately and quickly suitable guides may be provided on the folders, but as guides for this purpose are well known in the art it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate or describe them here. The head 40 is now lowered, bringing the expanded templet down upon the blank and pressing the same into the space defined by the folders, which space is a little larger in size but has exactly the contour of the blank aft-er folding. The cam 93 now moves the arm 91 forward, thus rocking the shaft 90 and swinging the arms rearward. The latter, through the instrumentality of the slides 86, 87, carry the front folders 83 straight toward the rear, thereby folding the front edge of the collar blank over the front edge of the templet. The cams 104, 105 now actuate the arms 102, 103 on the shaft 81, thereby moving plates 96, 97 forward; the resulting movement of the rear folders 84, 84 being determined by the positions of the cam disks 110, 111, or the positions and design of the cam rings 126, 127, or both, as previously described. The toggles 150, 151 are now buckled by the cam 156, dropping the movable bed 135. The templet now contracts or collapses and at the same time the cams 93, 104, 105 begin to withdraw the folders. While these operations are going on the presser (which, with its associated mechanism, is fully described in our copending application Ser. No. 608,244 before mentioned, now Patent No. 1,043,722, issued Nov. 5, 1912,) begins to approach the blank, and just as the folded edge thereof is cleared by the folders the presser is seated on said edges and locked in position. The cam 156 now straightens the toggles 150, 151, pressing the folded blank firmly against the presser and hence imparting a sharp and permanent crease to the folds of the blank. The pressing being completed the toggles are again buckled by the cam 156, the presser is inlocked' and the head 40 rises. As the head moves up the templet expands. The folded and pressed blank being removed from the bed the machine is ready to receive an unfolded blank and repeat the cycle described.

As previously stated, the invention can be embodied in various devices other than those herein specifically illustrated and described, without departure from its proper spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a bed upon which the blank to be folded is placed, a templet adapt-ed to be seated on the blank to hold the same and define the contour of the finished blank, a folding-blade movable inwardly and outwardly'wit-h respect to the blank to fold adjoining edges thereof over upon the templet, means for moving the folding-blade backwardly and forwardly, an arm extending forwardly into juxtapositon to the foldingblade and pivoted in rear of the folding blade to swing horizontally, a slotted element adjustably mounted on. the arm, means for swinging said arm and a pin connected with the folding-blade and ext-ending into the slot in said element, whereby to give the blade a lateral movement concurrently with its backward and forward movement.

2. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a horizontal bed for supporting a blank to be folded, a folder-blade movable above the bed, means for shifting the blade backwardly and forwardlj, and means for shifting the blade laterally, comprising a vertical shaft, an arm mounted on the shaft above the bed and extending into juxtapositon to the blade, a device carried by the arm and having a slot, a stud connected with the blade and extending into said slot, an

' the shaft to rock the actuating arm connected to the shaft below the bed, and a cam engaging the arm to actuate the same.

3. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a bed, a folding blade movable on the bed, a horizontally and laterally movable arm extending over the bed and connected with the folding blade, a vertical rock shaft connected at its upper end to the arm, an actuating arm connected to the lower end of same, a rotary member adjacent to the actuating arm, and a rotatively adjustable cam ring mounted on the rotary member and engaging the actuating arm to. rock the same.

4. In a blank-folding machine, incombi nation, a bed, a folding blade movable on the bed, an arm extending'horizontally over the bed and connected with the folding blade, a vertical shaft connected at its upper end to the arm, an arm connected with the lower end of the shaft, a rotary member adjacent to the last named arm, and a removable cam ring mounted on the rotary member and cooperating with the last named arm.

5. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a bed, a folding blade movable on the bed, an arm extending horizontally over the bed and connected with the folding blade, a shaft connected with the arm, a second arm connected with the shaft, a removable cam member cooperating with the second arm to actuate the same, and a bearing for the shaft constructed to hold the shaft stationary when the said member is not in cooperative relation to the shaft.

6. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a bed, a folding blade movable on the bed, a movable arm extending horizontally over the bed and connected with the folding blade, a vertical element connected to the arm, and means for holding the vertical element stationary with the arm at any position in its range of movement.

7. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a bed, a folding blade movable on the bed, an arm extending horizontally over the bed and connected with the folding blade, a vertical rock shaft connected at its upper end to the arm, and a clamping device asso ciated with the shaft to hold the same and the arm stationary.

S. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a vertically movable bed, folding blades movable inwardly and outwardly over the bed, a collapsible fold-defining templet adapted to be seated on a blank placed on the bed and over the space defined by the folding blades, means for moving the folding blades inwardly and outwardly to fold the blank-edges over the tcmplet edges and withdraw from the folded edges, means for lowering the bed after the inward movement of the blades and before the outward movement thereof, and before the collapsing of said templet, means for collapsing said templet, a rotating shaft, and connections between said shaft and all of the above named means to actuate the latter in the manner specified.

9. In a blank-folding machine, in combination, a "ertically movable bed, a fold defining templet adapted to be seated on a blank placed on the bed, folder blades movable inwardly to fold the blank-edges over the templet edges and outwardly to withdraw from the folded edges, a toggle connected with the bed to raise and lower the same, and means for buckling the toggle to lower the bed after the inward movement and before the outward movement of the folding bla des.

10. In a blank-folding machine, the combination of a bed-plate or table, a transverse member arranged in the table and movable backwardly and forwardly therein, a horizontal rock shaft mounted below the table and connected with the said member to move the same, a horizontal arm extending over the member, a slide movable transversely in said member and adapted to carry a folding blade, connections between the slide and one end of the horizontal arm, a vertical rock shaft connected to the horizontal arm at the latters other end, actuating arms for said rock shaft, and a single cam for rocking said actuating arms.

11. In a blank-folding machine, the combination of a bed-plate or table, a member movable forwardly and backwardly therein, a slide movable transversely in the said member, a folding blade carried by the slide, a transverse rock shaft arranged below the table and having an arm extendiiig upwardly into connection with said member to actuate the same, an arm extending horizontally over the slide from the rear of the table and connected at its forward end to said slide to actuate the same, a vertical rock shaft connected at its upper end to the hori-- zontal arm, arms extending forwardly from said rock shafts below the table, and a single cam engaging the last named arms to swing the same and thereby rock said shafts.

12. In a blank-folding machine, the combination with a table, a member movable forwardly and backwardly therein, and means to actuate the same, of a slide movable transversely in said member and having a folding blade, an arm extending horizontally over the slide and connected at one end to the slide to actuate the same, a vertical rock shaft connected at its upper end to the other end of said arm, an actuating arm fixed to the rock shaft at the lower end thereof, a face cam against which the last named arm is adapted to bear, and a spring encircling the shaft and connected therewith to hold the said actuating arm in contact with the cam.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures each in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARLEY M. GLEARWATER. JOHN TEMPLE. JOSEPH H. RAMSEY.

Witnesses to the signatures of Harley M. Clearwater and John Temple: GEO. P. STEWART, ANDERSON McLnon. WVitnesses to the signature of Joseph H. Ramsey:

Anna S. NEWTON, Gnonen S. VAN SoHAioK.

monies of this; patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of him.

Washington, D. 0. i 

